URME Projects: Call for Proposals, Fall 2013

URME project proposals are submitted by faculty. Awards fund group or one-on-one research/mentoring activities that involve undergraduate students. Faculty from all academic disciplines are invited to apply.

The deadline to submit proposals has passed. This page is for archival purposes only.

Call for Proposals

The deadline to submit proposals was Friday, October 18, 2013.

Faculty who received URME support during the 2012-2013 academic year are not eligible to apply.

The funding period will be November 15, 2013 to May 30, 2014; all award funds must be encumbered by April 1, 2014, and spent by June 1, 2014.

Award decisions will be announced by mid-November.

Funded projects will require sign-off from department chair. We will contact department chairs once award decisions have been made.

After the close of the funding period, we will ask award recipients to provide a brief summary of the outcomes of their project(s), including accomplishments and future directions.

Award Types

We suggest two broad categories, designed to encourage broad participation. Alternative models, if justified, will also be considered.

Group research (3 or more students): A faculty research mentor will supervise the work of a group of students, working on one project or a set of related projects. Students will receive academic credit by registering for a “Special Problems” or “Undergraduate Research” course with the faculty mentor. Funding: up to $3,000 for each mentoring group, to be used for costs related to the research activity or for travel to present research findings at conferences.

One-on-one research (1-2 students): A faculty research mentor will work with one or two students on a project or similar projects. The student(s) will register for an “Independent Research” course, up to 3 credits. Funding: up to $1,250 per student, to be used for laboratory supplies and analyses, travel to present findings at conferences, or other research-related activities.

Note about workload compensation – URME awards do not pay for workload credit associated with faculty teaching a “Special Problems” or “Undergraduate Research” course, or for release resulting from accumulated “Independent Research” credits. Any such workload credit should be arranged for independently of the URME program.

Expectations

Successful projects will enable faculty mentors to integrate their research interests in ways that will not only promote their scholarship, but also offer students intellectual engagement and exciting interaction with the discipline. Successful projects will also foster the development of new skill sets in students, via their participation in writing abstracts or papers, reporting research at conferences, or exhibiting or performing their work. How the project will meet these expectations should be made explicit in the project proposal.

Application Process

Project proposals, due 11:59pm on October 18, should be submitted using the submissions interface (run by a conference management system called EasyChair we’re using to collect, manage, and review submissions). Please follow the instructions below to complete an application.

Application Steps

1. Browse to EasyChair and create an account. (If you already have an EasyChair account, you may use it, if you wish, and login from that page.)

2. Click “New Submission”.

3. Add as “Authors” all faculty involved with the project (please list your department in the “Organization” box).

4. Add a project title to the “Title” area.

5. Insert a brief description of the project (100 words maximum) in the “Abstract” area. (We will use this description to publicize projects.)

8. In the “Upload Paper” section, upload two documents: a “Paper” containing a project summary and a CV or biographical sketch for participating faculty and an “Attachment” containing the project’s proposed budget.

Paper Details

“Paper” (permitted file types: PDF, MS Word doc or docx, plain text):

A. A proposal summary (up to 500 words), including discussion of:

the proposed research activity (important note: reviewers will be from other disciplines; we strongly recommend you describe your research for a broad audience, using lay language);

how students will be involved and mentored as a result of the research activity; and

When you are finished completing the form and uploading your two files, press “Submit”. You will receive a confirmation email, and you will be able to view your submission by logging back in to Easy Chair at https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=urme2013. You may make changes to your submission through 11:59 pm on October 18; after that, the submissions interface will be closed.